


After The End

by KrozJr



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
Genre: Character Study, Comfort, F/M, Fluff, PTSD, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:18:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22100131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrozJr/pseuds/KrozJr
Summary: It’s amazing what mundane things affect the six of them. After all, it’s been 10 years since Olaf died, they’re reunited, and their world is quiet, right?Yet every “adventure” they’ve had affects them in some way. One day, they might move on...
Relationships: Klaus Baudelaire/Isadora Quagmire, Violet Baudelaire/Quigley Quagmire
Comments: 3
Kudos: 28





	1. Violet & Quigley - Wedding (Book The First)

**Author's Note:**

> Slight AU - Beatrice Jr. died on the island.

_”Count Olaf’s one eyebrow raised slightly, and the Baudelaire orphans recognized this sign of his anger. But then the eyebrow went down again as he forced himself to remain calm. ‘But I have such an important role for you onstage,’ he said. ‘You are going to play the young woman I marry.’”_ \- The Bad Beginning, ch. 6

* * *

Violet Baudelaire grimaced.

”You know, you’re a smart girl, and I’ve seen you around with your boyfriend...” A customer started. Violet knew where this was going.

”And?” Violet responded, hoping she was wrong.

”Well, you seem happy with him. I’ve seen you about the village occasionally. If you don’t mind me asking, when are you going to pop the question?” The regular continued. He always seemed to be in her repair shop; he was an ageing but generally kind older gentleman who always seemed to have something in his house broken.

”Sorry, assume I’m being silly, which question?” Violet responded, silently offering him a way out.

”Well, a wedding. I mean, you two seem perfect for each other!” He responded, not knowing he’d just struck a nerve.

Quigley Quagmire, Violet’s boyfriend of 9 years, sat in his study in the Baudelaire-Quagmire mansion’s east wing. After the childrens’ fortunes had been received, they’d built a huge, fireproof mansion for the six of them. Violet and Quigley had taken the east wing, Klaus and Isadora had taken the west wing, and (as the people not in relationships), Duncan and Sunny had made their home in the North wing. Each room was furnished in just the way its occupants desired, and the three wings to the mansion opened out into a large entrance hall and living room, where the six of them, now all grown up (aside from Sunny, who was just hitting puberty) could spend family time.

Quigley sighed. He couldn’t get these maps right. He’d started an a amateur cartography business, custom-making maps for special causes. It wasn’t enough to pay bills, but between him, Violet, and the Baudelaire and Quagmire fortune, they had more than enough money. Something was troubling him though. He didn’t know what, but...

”Quigley!” Violet’s voice wafted up from downstairs. Quigley knew that tone. It wasn’t scared, but it was close. Quigley got up and rushed downstairs. Violet was standing there, her hair partially free of its ribbon and tears down her face. In short, she looked a mess. Quigley took Violet in his arms while she quietly sobbed.

”Violet, what’s wrong?” Quigley asked, concerned. They’d moved to a sofa, and were seated embracing each other.

”Someone asked today,” Violet choked out between sobs. Quigley already had an idea of where she was going.

”Someone asked today when we were getting married. And after Olaf, I just- I just can’t-“ Violet broke down, and Quigley embraced her harder. After the events of the Baudelaire’s stay with Olaf, it was no wonder that Violet had developed something that was almost like a fear of weddings.

”Violet, look at me.” Quigley urged. After a moment, she did.

”You know I’d never force you to do anything you didn’t want. If that means you never want to get married, then-“ Quigley started.

”You deserve better.” Violet cut him off. She felt wrong. “You deserve someone with whom you can have a nice, fancy wedding, and then live out the rest of your life with them. You deserve to see a special someone in a wedding dress. You deserve a honeymoon. You deserve all of these things, and I just can’t-.” Violet broke down again. Quigley’s heart figuratively broke.

”Violet.” Quigley said comfortingly, at a loss for words. He didn’t know the words to make her better, he didn’t know the words to make this right, he didn’t know the words to fix this. So instead, they just held each other for hours until one of them was finally able to break the embrace.


	2. Klaus & Isadora - Movies & Dramatic Irony (Book The Second)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the next chapter. Chances are a significant number will be up today as I’m a fast writer...

_“As you and I listen to Uncle Monty tell the three Baudelaire orphans that no harm will ever come to them in the Reptile Room, we should be experiencing the strange feeling that accompanies the arrival of dramatic irony.”_ \- The Reptile Room, ch. 3

* * *

Klaus Baudelaire was nervous, admittedly, but surely nothing could go wrong? After all, he was only planning on proposing to the love of his life tonight, and had decided (against arguably his well-being) to watch a movie with her in a cinema. Just the thought of it sent shivers down his spine. Going to a cinema was the last family activity he and his sisters had done before…

He shook his head. He would not think on that. He also would not acknowledge the fact that he was on edge for anything. It was just a normal reaction to planning to propose, he convinced himself. Well, almost.  
  


“Klaus, you didn’t have to!” Isadora said excitedly as Klaus pulled up to the cinema. The final film in a series she liked was premiering tonight, and it seemed like he’d managed to get tickets.

“For someone as pretty as you, how could I not?” Klaus smiled at her, not betraying the butterflies in his stomach. It was nothing, he thought.

“Everything is right with the world tonight, this experience will be a delight.” Isadora composed a couplet on the spot. However, while Klaus praises the poem, and the two walk up to the entrance and hand over their tickets, it is worth remembering the concept of dramatic irony, and how it can come at even the happiest of moments.  
  


The movie began, and Klaus relaxed somewhat. He was still, unknown to Isadora, digging his fingers into his armrest in discomfort. ‘What if someone was in the dark?’ He thought. ‘What if there’s a message and I don’t catch it? What if someone…’ He stiffened. He couldn’t let that happen. As the movie played, he slowly calmed. He was with Isadora, the past was in the past, and he was safe, right?

“Isadora.” Klaus whispered. It took a couple of tries to shake her out of watching. She looked mildly annoyed. They were only midway through the film.

“What?” She whispered back, clearly frustrated. A couple of people nearby turned to look at them, but no one said anything.

“I didn’t realise this film had zombies in it. It brings back… bad memories…” Klaus stuttered. For a moment, Isadora was about to laugh at her partner’s antics, but then the gravity of his words sunk in.

“Wait, do you mean… Olaf?” She said, confused.

“Yeah.” Klaus shakily responded. Without a further word, he stood up and left the theatre with only a “I’ll be fine, stay here.” to Isadora.

Isadora was skeptical of Klaus’ words, but stayed and watched the end. Immediately after the credits finished, she rushed out of the theatre to their car. Sure enough, there was Klaus, absent-mindedly rubbing his glasses on his shirt.

“Are you alright?” Isadora said, concerned.

“No. This evening was meant to be perfect, and me and my fears have gone and ruined it.” Klaus responded, clearly upset.

“Klaus, it was just a movie night. I understand that we’ve never done this before, and it’s a premiere and all that, but it’s not the end of the world.” Isadora responded, sympathetic.

“No. You’re missing the point. After the film, we weren’t meant to be like this. We were meant to be happy, and then…” Klaus broke down. Isadora hugged him, and felt something in his pocket. Slowly, she picked out the small velvet box and instantly put two and two together.

“Klaus, were you planning to propose to me? By taking me to a film I’d like?” Isadora shakily responded, not quite sure if what was happening was actually happening. There was a moment of silence.

“Yeah. And I ruined it.” Klaus responded having gathered himself somewhat.

“Klaus. Know this. Whether you proposed to me after a brilliant film or over a bowl of crisps, on a beach abroad or on the trolley into the city, at a theme park or at home, know this: my answer would remain the same. Yes, Klaus Baudelaire, I will marry you.”

And maybe, just maybe, for a time, the world, at least for these two, could be quiet.


	3. Violet & Sunny - Allergies (Book The Third)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the portions where the character’s tongue is swollen by literally putting my tongue in the way of my mouth, trying to speak, and then taking note of the sounds I made. The dedication I have to writing...

_ “The Baudelaire allergies are famous for being quick-acting, so the orphans did not have long to wait. In a few minutes, Violet began to break out in red, itchy hives, Klaus’s tongue began to swell up, and Sunny, who of course had never eaten a peppermint, broke out in hives and had her tongue swell up.”  _ \- The Wide Window, ch. 7

* * *

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…” Sunny and other children sang. One of her friends and classmates had brought in a cake for their birthday, and everyone of the boy’s friends was going to spend their lunchtime having cake and celebrating.

“Thank you!” Sunny said as she got a slice. She slowly used a fork to put some in her mouth. It tasted funny, but nice in a way, sand she quickly went for another bite. Within a minute, the entire slice was gone and Sunny had icing around her mouth.

“Sunny, you look ridiculous. You’ve got icing everywhere!” The birthday boy joked. Sunny grinned and used her tongue to lick it up in one long lick.

A few minutes later, everyone was chatting, when someone happened to notice something.

“Sunny?” One of her classmates began.

“Yeah?” Sunny said, feeling a little unwell all of a sudden.

“Umm, your face looks a bit… red. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fime.” She said. For some reason, her tongue had got in the way of that. Suddenly, the birthday boy’s eyes widened.

“Sunny, are you allergic to anything?” He asked, hesitant.”

“Yeah, peppermimt.” She said, still finding it hard to speak. Her tongue seemed swollen, and she was beginning to get an itch or two…

“Oh. Because that cake was a peppermint cake and, well, you ate some.” He seemed rather distressed, which is understandable.

“Hello, Violet Baudelaire’s mechanical workshop, this is Violet Baudelaire speaking, how may I help you?” Violet spoke into the phone. It had rung just at the beginning of her lunch hour.

“Hello, this is Ms. Dobson of Hillwiew Crest School, we think Sunny Baudelaire is a little ill today.” The voice came from the end of the phone.

“Really? What’s happened?” Violet said, the cable twisting around her as she began to pack up her tools to go and pick up Sunny.

“Well, her and some of her friends were celebrating a classmate’s birthday, and from what I can understand, she unknowingly ate some peppermint cake. I understand she’s allergic, yes?” Violet’s heart stopped.

“Is Sunny there? Can I speak to her?” She asked? She knew that they were only minor allergies, but she was still a concerned sister. And besides, the only good time to get an allergic reaction was-

“Pello Biolep. Pow are pou?” Sunny said down the phone, shaking Violet from her thoughts.

“Sunny, I’ll be right there.” She said, hanging the door sign saying ‘CLOSED’ as she finished packing up.

“... band fo, I bibn’t bealise be cake bas pepperminp unpil I’b eapen ip.” Sunny said, trying to get her point across despite the fact her tongue was swollen. She was in a baking soda bath for her hives, talking to her sister, who was making sure she was okay. Violet cared for all her siblings, and was always distressed when one of them was ill. But allergies made her think back to when she was a frightened 14-year-old girl, alone in a world determined to make her life miserable, and she had to cause her siblings discomfort to save them. Sometimes, people must do a wicked thing for a noble reason, but she was still very shaky about the topic.


	4. Klaus & Violet - Glasses (Book The Fourth)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one has a dash of... comedy? I think?

_ “‘Come on,’ she said, showing the way with her black cane. ‘Shirley, my receptionist, made some cookies that you girls can eat in the waiting room while I make Klaus’s glasses. It won’t take nearly as long as yesterday.’ _

_ ‘Will Klaus be hypnotized?’ Violet demanded. _

_ ‘Hypnotized?’ Dr. Orwell repeated, smiling. ‘Goodness, no. Hypnosis is only in scary movies.’”  _ \- The Miserable Mill, ch. 8  


* * *

Klaus had known that this would happen eventually.

Over the last year or two, his eyes had changed to the point that, whenever he took his glasses off, there was now not much difference between the two views of the world. The head librarian at the city library, his employer, summed it up best when she said “Klaus Baudelaire, I cannot have my employees unable to see, get yourself new glasses.”

But he couldn’t bring himself to do it for many weeks.

On the one hand, sure, chances were that only and handful of optometrists were moonlighting as evil hypnotists in their spare time, and even fewer went out of their way to hypnotise any orphans they happened to get in their opticians chair. On the other hand, there was a life-changing injury and a near-death on record at Lucky Smells Lumbermill, and he knew, deep down, that Sir had just written ‘Klaus Baudelaire’ as the cause for both. He couldn’t risk it again. Despite that, he decided one day he had to do it. He had to go to the opticians.

“Next on my list, I’ve got a… Mr. Klaus Baudelaire?” The optician called out. It didn’t help Klaus in any way that the blur that represented her was similar in every way to the blur that Dr Orwell had been when he was in her office. After that, his memory was blank. Even now, his memory of the whole ordeal was foggy. He gathered himself. ‘Get scared later.’ He thought. Slowly, nervously, he stood up and made his way towards the entrance hall.

“Hello Mr. Baudelaire, do you mind if I call you Klaus?” The optician asked.

“No, no, that’s fine.” Klaus stuttered out in response.

“Are you nervous, Klaus? Not to fear, doctors are your friends and can’t hurt you.” The optician tried to ease his fears, but Klaus just stiffened further in panic.

“Deary me, I haven’t had someone this scared in my chair for many years. Are you alright?” The optician consciously shifted to a more calming and slow voice to try and ease his fears, but this only amplified them. Klaus knew it - she was going to hypnotise him.

“Are you going to hypnotise me?” He stuttered out after a moment. He knew it was a stupid thing to say. Of course an evil hypnotist would say ‘no’ to that.

“Klaus, no, of course, hypnosis is only in scary movies…” She hesitantly responded, trying to understand where her patient was coming from.

“Now, we must get on. I understand you’re nervous, but I need you to look at the screen and- Klaus, why have you shut your eyes?” She stopped mid sentence.

“Because you’ll hypnotise me!” He said, knowing he was sounding more irrational every moment.

  
  


“Listen, let me show you my card, it’ll show you I’m a professional optician.” And so she did. She held it up to Klaus’s face, and when he couldn’t read it, she read it out to him.

“Ms. Francia Fafka, trained optometrist.” She read. Klaus didn’t relax.

“What about the line below… there were two lines of words, I saw that much.” He eventually managed to say, petrified.

“Oh, that? That’s nothing, that’s just a certification from the person who trained me, a Ms. Georgina Orwell. But that’s nothing, I promise. I have to have that on there.”

Suffice to say, this did not ease Klaus’ fears.

Several long hours later, Violet heard the doorbell go off. Odd. Who would that be? She knew Klaus had gone to get his glasses changed, but he had keys to let himself in with. They weren’t expecting any deliveries that Saturday, so it shouldn’t be the postman. She got up, and crossed the marble floor to the door. Outside, as she suspected, was Klaus. She opened the door, and asked him why he hadn’t come in. He did so, without a word.

“Klaus, are you alright? What happened?” Violet began to panic. She’d researched the optometrists office after Klaus had gone, out of curiosity, and had seen the line ‘Trained by Ms. Georgina Orwell’, but had thought nothing of it.

“Klaus, you’re scaring me, what happened?” She asked, a hint of terror in her voice. Had it happened again? Had Klaus been hypnotised?

Fortunately, at that moment, Klaus began to laugh. Violet immediately knew what had happened. Klaus was evidently playing a joke on her.

“Yes, very funny, you got me.” She said after a moment, after her breathing had returned to normal. Klaus suddenly sobered up.

“In all seriousness,” he said, “That was the scariest thing I’ve ever done.”

Violet couldn’t help but agree.


	5. Duncan, Sunny & Violet - Disguises (Book The Fifth)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “It may not be particularly wise,  
> But it’s a thrill to be disguised.“
> 
> — Isadora Quagmire

_ “‘Exactly!’ Duncan said. ‘When you said ‘in your shoes’, it gave me an idea. I know you meant ‘in our shoes’ as an expression meaning ‘in our situation.’ But what if someone else were actually in your shoes - what if we disguised ourselves as you?’”  _ \- The Austere Academy, ch. 10

* * *

Following the peppermint incident, Sunny’s friends had made sure to check that any food they offered to friends in general were good for her. However much she said “My only allergy is peppermint”, they checked with her before giving her food. So, when Halloween came around, it was no surprise that her friends checked she could eat sweets.

“And are you okay with chocolate?” One asked.

“What about fizzwizzle toffees?” Someone else asked.

“And Banana polimirois?” A third person inquired.

“Listen, I’ve told you, I’m only allergic to peppermints, nothing else!” Sunny said, exasperated. “Also, I’ve told you before that my family don’t celebrate Halloween, so you don’t have to accommodate me in your plans.”

“But Sunny,” one person said, “winding you up is half the fun!”

Everyone laughed.

“Violet?” Sunny asked, hesitant.

“Yes, Sunny?” Violet responded.

“On Halloween, can I go trick-or-treating with my friends?” She asked. Violet was confused.

“Sunny, you never asked on previous Halloweens. What changed?” Violet asked.

“Well, all my friends are doing it, and besides, I found a new recipe for nutty chocolate that I could make for you to hand out at the door…” She explained. She didn’t say, even though she wanted to, that before she’d been a little scared, but now she was braver. She knew that Violet would respond with “I know, but I also know that feeling braver doesn’t mean you are any braver”, before saying “No.” There was a moment of silence.

“Okay, fine. Just this once, okay?” Violet said after a moment.

Sunny, in her costume, walked a few doors down. She’d made sure that she went to her friends’ house early so she could tag along. Because they’d only had a few days to make a costume, she’d gone for the traditional and surprisingly effective ‘toilet-paper mummy’ look, made more effective with liberal use of red food colouring. She moved to her friend’s door and knocked. Her friend responded by opening the door.

“Trick-or-treat!” Sunny said, a toothy grin on her face. She and her friend broke down laughing, and she went inside.

An hour later, Sunny and around ten friends began to go round the neighbourhood. When they got to the door of the Baudelaire-Quagmire mansion, one of her friends knocked the door. After a moment, Duncan answered.

“Hello?” He said, and then he noticed the crowd of children. Ghosts, cowboys, and mummies littered the porch.

“Uh, hello?” He said, suddenly nervous.

“Trick-or-treat!” One child said.

“Uh, sure, hold on… Duncan said, and grabbed a bag of chocolates. He threw a handful at the children, and then, too quickly, darted inside and slammed the door behind him.

Perplexed, the children slowly moved down the driveway back to the street.

“Sunny, what was that?” One of her friends asked. Sunny was unsure.

“Listen guys, if you want to keep going, that’s fine, but I’ll stay home. Something’s wrong.” She said after a moment. Her friends looked disappointed, but grasped that Sunny was concerned. Sunny slowly made her way back to the front door, where this time, Violet answered.

“Oh Sunny, there you are! I was scared!” She said, suddenly. Sunny darted in, unsure of what had got Violet into such a state.

“What’s wrong?” Sunny asked, concerned.

“Well, when you and your friends arrived, I asked Duncan to answer the door. But you see, after his and Isadora’s rescue attempt at Prufrock, they’re deathly scared of disguises. They’re petrified that anyone they see in disguise might wind up kidnapped like them. I was just about to get you anyway to put Duncan’s mind to rest, as I’m so glad you’re here…” Violet rambled, and Sunny understood. This is why her family never celebrated Halloween. For while it may be a thrill to be disguised, as a poet once put it, it may not be particularly wise.


	6. Isadora & Klaus - Elevators

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I chose London, by the way, because at live near there and so can talk about it well.

_ “Their long climb ended in a tiny, filthy room with nothing in it but the used cage that the extension cord had clinked against, but the Baudelaires saw that the passageway continued with a long hallway, just as shadowy as the elevator shaft, that twisted and turned away into the dark. The children also got a good look at the Quagmires, and that view was no less gloomy.”  _ \- The Ersatz Elevator, ch. 8

* * *

Following their wedding, Klaus & Isadora decided to take a honeymoon to London. London, as I’m sure you know, is a large city in southern England famous for having a room where people squabble with each other called a ‘parliament’, a palace full of corgi dogs named ‘Buckingham’, and a large pile of mud and human excrement diluted by water called the ‘Thames’. Some people are aware of London’s metro train system, named the Underground, and this is not a misnomer. Indeed, these stations can be deep underground. It was at one of these stations, titled  _ Hampstead _ , that Klaus and Isadora arrived following a walk in one of London’s many parks.

“Hampstead Underground station.” Klaus said as they stood outside of it. The building was clad in tiles of a colour somewhere between red, pink,and purple.

“According to a book I read,  _ London Underground through the ages _ ,” Klaus said, talking to Isadora, “the tile colour was meant to be a corporate identity, and is a colour named ‘ox-blood’.”

“How appealing.” Isadora said after a moment. The busy sound of the road behind her prompted her to move into the station’s ticket office, where they purchased two tickets.

“You know, there’s something else about this station I know.” Klaus said after a minute, not sure how Isadora would take this information. “There are 320 steps, equivalent to an 18-story building, I believe.”

“Interesting. That’s a long walk. Did no-one think to put in an escalator like at that station we went to earlier?” Isadora asked after a moment.

“Well, no, but there is an elevator…” Klaus said, and immediately Isadora tensed. Klaus felt instantly guilty for bringing it up. Of course Isadora would be scared of elevators, after her traumatic ordeal at 667 Dark Avenue. 

Him, Violet, and Sunny had found the two Quagmires wearing ruined clothes in pitch darkness with a haunted look in their eyes that Klaus would never forget. Klaus knew this because, at this very moment, Isadora had stopped in the ticket hall with that exact look in her eyes. She was even shaking slightly.

“No, that’s fine, we can always take the stairs…” Klaus said, desperately trying to calm his now-wife. Isadora just shook her head.

“No. It’s not fair… not fair to make you walk that far down just for me.” Isadora said shakily. Klaus just looked at her with a disbelieving look in his eyes.

“No, honestly, it’s fine, come on, we’ll walk down.”

So they did. They made their way past the elevators, to the start of the stairs. Isadora was still gripping Klaus’ hand tightly at that point, when a member of staff, trying to be helpful, pointed out the sign said ‘320 steps. Emergency use only.’

“Yes sir, I understand, but my wife here is scared of elevators.” Klaus said the man, trying to hurry along. Isadora realised how silly she seemed, and started sobbing. Klaus responded by ignoring the confused shouts of the staff member and leading her down the stairs.

The stairwell was long and monotonous, and the two lovers were alone for the entire descent, but by the end of it, Isadora was feeling slightly better, and turned to Klaus.

“It can sometimes feel like your drowning in fear,” she started, and leaned in to him, before continuing “But it can be a lot better when a loved one is near.” And they kissed at the bottom of a stairwell. Not the most romantic place imaginable, but that wasn’t important to them.


End file.
